Michael Bisping: The UFC 'had to make an example out of Jon Jones'

Michael Bisping

When it comes to fellow UFC veteran Jon Jones, Michael Bisping believes the UFC took appropriate action was against the now-former light-heavyweight champion.

The UFC officials announced on Tuesday they have stripped Jones (21-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) of his title and sndefinitely suspended the 27-year-old due to his alleged involvement in a Sunday hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque, N.M., that left a victim with a broken arm.

The suspension forced Jones out of his scheduled UFC 187 title defense against Anthony Johnson (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who now meets replacement Daniel Cormier (15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the pay-per-view headliner for the vacant belt on May 23 in Las Vegas.

Jones became the first fighter in UFC history to be stripped of a belt for disciplinary reasons. The action ended his four-year title reign, which began when he stopped Mauricio Rua at UFC 128 in March 2011.

Although Jones, who’s had a number of past legal and fight-related indiscretions, received an unprecedented penalty, Bisping, who was an analyst on FOX Sports 1’s “UFC Tonight” immediately after news of the suspension broke, said the UFC had no choice but to levy a harsh punishment.

“Let’s be honest: the UFC’s hands were tied here, and they had to make an example out of Jon Jones,” Bisping said. “He can’t go around behaving like this. They had to send a message to the public that the UFC don’t accept this type of behavior, and they also had to send a message to all the other fighters on the roster that this will not be tolerated. You cannot go out there and represent the company, the UFC, in such a fashion.”

Jon Jones

Jones also tested positive for cocaine in a pre-fight drug test prior to his UFC 182 bout with Cormier in January. He was issued a $25,000 fine for the failed test while the UFC commended Jones for his decision to enter a drug-treatment facility. That stay lasted only one night, according to the fighter’s mother. Jones was also arrested for DUI in May 2012.

Bisping said it’s unfortunate poor decisions have dampened the career of one of the UFC’s biggest stars. He said Jones must make changes to his life to correct his issues.

“When you think about it, this is a guy that had everything there at his fingertips, and it’s all been possibly taken away in the blink of an eye,” Bisping said. “Of course we’ve got think of the victim involved, the young lady who was pregnant. My thoughts go out to her. But obviously Jon’s – I’m sure he’s not a bad person. He’s a decent person. He’s a young man that maybe the ego has gotten a hold of him a little bit. He’s got all these people around him obviously (making) bad decisions. So I’m sure he’s very, very sorry, and he’s going to do a lot of learning and a lot of growing up.”

Prior to being stripped of the title, Jones had earned eight consecutive title defenses, tied for the second most in UFC history behind Anderson Silva (10). At 23, he was also the youngest fighter in UFC history to win a belt and has a number of other records to his name. While Jones’ quest to be considered the greatest fighter in MMA history is secondary to his personal wellbeing, Bisping said it’s “sad” to see a one-of-a-kind talent put to waste.

“Let’s not forget what a big deal this is for Jon Jones; this is a guy that was going to make history,” Bisping said. “The most dominant fighter ever. The most (title) defenses is what he was trying to achieve. I’m not saying he can never achieve it, but he’s going to have to go back to the start and start defending from one. So, records smashed, dreams shamed. It’s a sad day for Jon Jones and a sad day for the sport.”

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